Improvement in constructing electroplated rollers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN lV. WILCOX, OF WEST ROXBRY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTING ELECTROPLATED ROLLERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,633, (lated April 12, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. VILCOX, of West Roxbury, in the county ot' Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the construction otl electroplate or electrotype rolls for printing, paper-making, or dressing-rolls, or for any other purpose for which such rolls are used; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciieation, in which- Figure l represents a roll ina partial preparatory state previous to its being covered with copper by electroplatin g, and Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section through the roll when nished.

In the varied mechanical pursuits where rollers are used they have been made of many different kinds of material, such as iron, copper, tin, zinc, lead, soapstone, glass, wood, Src.; but the more common are iron covered witha paint or other composition, or with copper, or copper alone, or soapstone, the two latter alone being used for dresser-rollers. Copper rollers are very expensive, and the soapstone, being injuriously affected by the acid in the size used on the yarns, require frequent redressing.

I am aware that an iron roller has been covered with copper by the electroplate process; but this is an uncertain operation, because of the holes, seams, cracks, spongy places, and other defects in the iron which may and do escape the most critical inspection by the operator, but which the acid in the bath never fails to penetrate, and thus undermine the surface and destroy the roller without the operators even knowing that such work otdestruction is going on.

Iron rollers have also been covered with copper by making a copper tube and drawing it over or onto the iron base by dies; but this requires much more copper than is actually necessary for the purpose, and makes the roller very expensive. Besides, in such rollers there is no metallic union between the copper and the iron, and when (as in printing-rollers) the iigures or designs are punched into the copper it loosens up the copper from the iron, and thus makes a defective roller.

Another plan to cover iron rollers with copand solder the edges.

per is to bend a sheetof copperaround the roll This, too, is expensive, and there is no union between the metals. Besides, the solder, being softer than the copper at thejoint, will wear away and leave ajointmark, which on paper is so observable as to make it quite a serious objection.

My object and aim is to obviate all these heretofore-existing defects and objections, and I have ei'ectually done so by the means hereinafter to be described.

My invention consists in making rollers for dressing, calico-printing, paper-making, and other purposes by winding a ribbon of copper, brass, or other suitable metal around an iron or any other proper support or base, and then coating the surface of the roller with copper by the ordinary electroplating process, as will be stated.

and use my invention, l will proceed to describe the same in connection with and by reference to the accompanying drawings.

A may represent an iron or any other shaft or proper support or base for being covered with copper. This shaft, base, or support may be hung by its journals B B, and turned true and smooth. A llet or ribbon, a, of copper, brass, or any other suitable metal, is then wound spirally around this shaft, base, or support, and while it is under the strain of the winding-machine it is soldered at its ends or throughout the entire line ot' its spiral joint, and for some purposes (as will be mentioned) the tillet or ribbon is soldered to the base throughout its entire length, as well as where the edges of it abut against each other. In a dresser-roller, or for any light work, the ribbon need not be soldered throughoutthat is,

shaft or base-as afew inches of such soldering at the ends will sutice; but the spiral line must be soldered throughout its length to prevent any moisture from getting to the shalt, and to insure a perfect deposit of the copper on the entire surface. For calico-prin ting rollers the ribbon should be soldered throughout its entire inner surface to the base, as well as its joint or spiral line, so that the punches and milling-tools of the engraver may not in j nre or disturb the surface when stamping in the ligures. A brass or copper cap, b, may be put at the end of the roll or shoulder next the To enable others skilled in the art to make i.

the inner surface ot' the ribbon to the roller i journals and soldered thereto, so that all that part ofthe roll which the size can get to may be covered with copper to resist the action of its acids. The roll or base being thus covered with the iillet or ribbon orr and capped, if the capping be necessary 0r desirable for its intended purpose, by the end pieces, b, its whole surface is then dressed down smooth and true byt'urning, grinding, or any other of the welt known ways. The journals may be protected in any of the well-known Ways, and the roller is ready to go into the bath forthe electroplat;

ing. f

v The roll, so far asahove described, 'and without the electroplating, would be a perfect roll, it' the solder were of the same degree of'hardness as the brass or copper; but it is not, and hence the necessity of coating it with a uniformly-hard metal. The liillet or ribbon and the solder covers all the imperfections in the iron or base of the roll, and so .far remedies this defect; but its imperfect surface, on account of this soldered joint, reinains,'hence the necessity of covering the surface with a pure deposit otcopper by electroplating. By this fillet or vribbon covering and soldering I avoid the necessity of the potash boiling and of the cyanide depositing, and all the trouble- The electroplating is of the ordinary well-` known kind, and done in the usual Way. I do not propose to describe the process, as it is Well known; and it is only necessary to rcmark that the rolls being in some cases very hea-Vy, and their objects or uses different, they must remain in the bath until the necessary .thickness ofthe deposited copper' is attained.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, in making electroplate'rollers, is-.

Covering -the shaft, base, or support with a. fillet or ribbon of metal, soldered or otherwise secured thereto, and depositing the copper on said surface by electroplating, substantially as described.

JOHN W. WILCOX. l/Vitnesses:

SARAH GOWING,

Goannnins CoWING. 

